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Sydney AFL Round 13 2018

SYDNEY AFL ROUND 13 2018Article by Michael Shillito

Five rounds remain before the finals, and the battle for positions within the top five remains intriguing. North Shore look to have the minor premiership sewn up; but then we have second to fifth level on games and separated by less than seven percentage points, with Sydney Uni only one game behind and a better percentage than third.
Every game between teams in that bracket is potentially of massive importance in how the finals positions end up. And as such, there was considerable interest in what would be a bizarre game of footy between East Coast Eagles and Manly Wolves at Kanebridge Oval on Saturday.
There was nothing wrong with the conditions at Kanebridge. The sun was shining, the ground in good shape. A bit of a swirling cross-wind, but it wasn’t that bad. Nothing that would suggest it would be impossible to kick goals in the first half.
But both teams went into the game with a defensive mindset, moving numbers back. And there was plenty of physical pressure applied, with some ferocious bumps that saw players dispossessed with regularity. Add to that some inexplicable turnovers and plenty of congestion around the wings that saw numerous boundary throw-ins.
Manly scored three behinds to one in the first term, and the Eagles added five behinds in the second. But neither team was able to penetrate the big sticks in the first half; with inside 50s being repelled by numbers behind the ball and prominent forwards from both sides unable to get anywhere near where the ball was going. When the siren sounded for half time, with neither team having a goal on the board, the faithful from both clubs were left shaking their heads and pondering the record books; as to whether they had witnessed something unique in the history of the game at this level.
After the stalemate of the first half, something had to give. And the game took on a new direction, as the shackles were lifted and the Eagle midfielders were given license to attack and propel the ball forward more directly than the no-risk first half. Suddenly the tension was eased, tags were lifted and the game opened up. And with this more positive mindset, the scoreboard began to tick over. The Eagles were the better side as the game became more free-flowing, landing six goals to one and increasing their lead from three points to 33 by three quarter time.
The one-quarter burst that broke the game open was enough for the Eagles to get the job done. They added three unanswered goals in the last, increasing their winning margin to 55 points. But it was the third quarter that did the damage. After a first half memorable for its no-risk defensiveness; the Eagles finding their attacking prowess in the third term was the difference between the two sides.
Trent Stubbs, Stuart Turner and Damon Steer were pivotal to the Eagles’ success on the day, with Turner bringing up his 100th game milestone in style. The Eagles remain in fifth place, with the worst percentage of the four teams level on 32 points. But the size of the win, and in particular having so few points added to the points against column on the ladder, could go a long way in bridging that percentage gap. The double-chance, or making the five, could well depend on it.
Lachlan Behagg, Gareth Benbow and Eric Burke were busy Bs all day for Manly. But to only get one goal all day would be disappointing for the Wolves; and after holding the Eagles for a half, were unable to maintain that pressure in the second half. Manly remain in second place, thanks to their impressive percentage. But they have only won away from Weldon once this year, and with only two more games at Weldon this season, they will need to improve their away record to stay in the double-chance position.

University pride was on the line as Sydney Uni played host to UNSW-ES at Sydney Uni No 1 on Saturday afternoon. It would be a thriller, as the Students came from behind to record a remarkable win over the Bulldogs and stay within striking distance of the top five.
It wasn’t a result that was looking likely early on. The Bulldogs hit the ground running, bursting out of the blocks and pumping the ball forward repeatedly in a raid that would leave the Students struggling to keep themselves in the contest. A dynamic opening quarter saw plenty of attacking footy, as the Bulldogs went direct on the small confines of the Uni campus oval and there were plenty of marking opportunities within scoring range for the Bulldog forwards to engage in. The goal umpires were frequently called into flag-waving duty as the opening quarter yielded six goals to two in favour of the Bulldogs, who led by 24 points at the first change.
The Students needed to respond. It would have been a blowout if they hadn’t. But first, they needed to stop the bleeding of easy goals that had been a feature of the first term. Sending re-enforcements back and tightening the defensive pressure. After six goals went to the Bulldogs in the first term, they were held to a single major score in the second quarter. It would be a long road to recovery for the Students, but they managed to record three goals in the second term, cutting the half time deficit to 15 points and giving themselves a chance.
The third quarter would be an arm-wrestle that would end in stalemate. The Bulldogs were looking to establish a match-winning break. The Students were looking to inch their way closer and peel off the deficit. But both sides struggled in vain, forced on the defensive and unable to achieve their stated objectives for the quarter. Just one goal apiece would be scored, and the Bulldogs went into the three quarter time huddle 14 points to the good.
Twice during the final term, the Bulldogs found the big sticks and scored goals that could have put the issue beyond doubt. But the Students kept coming, kept pressing; finding a second wind while the Bulldogs were visibly tiring. And with a late surge, the Students ran the Bulldogs down. The goals came late, as the resistance finally crumbled. But the Students’ fifth goal for the quarter with just a few seconds left on the clock gave them the lead for the first time. The siren shortly after the bounce, and the Students had completed a remarkable five-point win.
Tristan Davies kicked four goals for the Students; while Spencer Krochmal, Kyle Underwood and Daniel Smith also featured prominently. The Students are still in sixth place, a win out of the top five; but with a percentage competitive with those teams a game ahead. All they can do is win and wait for a team ahead of them to fall over.
Michael Thompson, Sam Wilson and Justin Cann performed honourably for UNSW-ES. But this was a missed opportunity for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs remain in third spot, but this was a chance to go to outright second. The margins for spots on the ladder are very tight; and this game could come back to haunt them as one that got away.

St George may have left their run to the finals too late this year. But the Dragons have hit some form, enough to suggest this year’s earlier poor run may be a one-off; and they were impressive against Pennant Hills at Ern Holmes Oval on Saturday afternoon.
The Demons’ annual return to the Ern is always a popular event, and there were no shortage of Demon faithful on hand to witness the event. And during the first quarter, there was nothing to suggest that the Demons were in any trouble. Finding their targets, moving the ball quickly; there didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary happening as they kicked four goals to one and led by 16 points at quarter time.
But, as if the teams had swapped jumpers at quarter time, the run of play was instantly reversed as the second term got under way. The Dragons, barely in the contest in the first term, lifted around the ground and suddenly the Demons were feeling the pinch. The Dragons were finding the ball on their forward line for sustained periods of time, and despite missing several shots that could have been converted, the sheer weight of opportunities created was enough to get them going. Four goals to one for the quarter saw the Dragons turn their quarter time deficit into a seven point half time lead.
It was more of the same in the premiership quarter, as the Demons were struggling to match the enthusiastic drive of the Dragons. St George were breathing fire, contesting every possession and making life difficult for their opponents in a way that they have rarely succeeded in this season. The scoreboard told the tale, another term of four goals to one which saw the margin increase to 25 points at the last change.
The floodgates opened in the last quarter, and the Dragons took full toll. Relishing in their situation of having the edge over a key title contender, the Dragons were unstoppable in the final term and the game became a blowout. A return of eight goals to one gave them a winning margin of 68 points; and their biggest scalp of the season to date.
Nick Ryan scored four goals for the Dragons, while Tim Coenen, Ben Hodgson and Kuiam Anu featured prominently for them. After a poor first half to the year, the Dragons have now won three in a row. They’re still three games out of the five with a poor percentage; and with only five rounds to go, unless something extraordinary happens, they’ve left their run too late for this year’s finals. But if they can maintain the form of the last few weeks, they’ll build some good momentum to build on in 2019.
Campbell Luscombe fought a rear-guard action for the Demons, kicking five goals to be their best; while Tom Angel and Jackson Preedy also fought hard all day. But this was a bad loss for the Demons; their third straight defeat. After being the only side likely to challenge North Shore at the half way point of the season, the Demons have now crashed to fourth. And the size of this loss is a hit to the percentage they may not be able to afford in the context of this year’s ladder.

When first plays last, as was the case for North Shore against Wests at Blacktown on Saturday afternoon, there’s always the risk of a blowout. Even when the top team lost last week and the bottom team won. But for a fleeting moment, the Magpies had visions of the boilover of the season. Bursting out of the blocks, landing a few big tackles early; there was soon a look of shock around Blacktown as the Magpies had the first three goals of the game and the match was not yet ten minutes old.
But the normal order would soon be restored, and the Magpies would not draw twin flags from the goal umpires again in the rest of the game. But in the early exchanges, the Magpies had their tails up and a three-goal lead. The Bombers had to steady, and quickly did so; but they would not take the lead until the final minutes of the first term. With three goals apiece in the first term, the Bombers were two points up.
As quickly as the Magpies’ hopes were raised, they were dashed. By half time, it was clear that there would be no miracle upset, and just another game of frustration for the Magpies. The Bombers added seven unanswered goals in the second term, as they hit their rhythm after a slow start and exerted their dominance over the contest. By half time, the margin was out to 45 points and the result of the match was already beyond doubt.
The Magpies tried hard to steady the ship, but all they could do was to try their best to hold back the tide. They did that to some degree in the third term as they held the Bombers to four goals; but never looked like adding to their tally during the quarter. It wasn’t a term of footy that reached any great heights, but the mismatch in talent on every line was there for all to see. Although the Magpies never stopped putting the efforts in, they didn’t have the cattle to match it with the Bombers; who had extended their lead to 68 points at the last change.
The last quarter was one-way traffic. The Wests’ resistance had crumbled, and they were powerless to stop the relentless North Shore onslaught. After a slow start to the game, the Bombers were at their irrepressible best, and the last quarter showed their form as they added another eight unanswered goals to blow the final margin out to 120 points.
Ward Blackburne and Max Thomas each contributed five goals to the North Shore cause and Danny Roberts put in four; while Thomas, Blackburne and Kyle Devlin were the Bombers’ best. North Shore are three games plus plenty of percentage clear on top of the ladder, and are at virtually unbackable odds to take out the minor premiership with five rounds to go.
Jakson Cowley, Michael Tuttle and Josh Zoppo tried hard all day for the Magpies. But they lacked the firepower to compete with the red-hot Bombers for more than the first ten minutes; and the hopes of the boilover result evaporated as quickly as they formed.
And with this result, two conclusions for the finals are now mathematically guaranteed. North Shore will be playing finals in 2018. Wests will not.

The round was concluded with a Saturday night clash at Fairfax Reserve, with the Cats hosting the Bats. And it was the home team who would prevail with a 58-point result.
Both sides were creating plenty of chances early, but the Cats were looking the stronger side around the ground. As the quarter drew on, the possession count became more lopsided, and the edge in touches of the ball would be reflected on the scoreboard. After see-sawing early, the Cats took control of the contest late in the quarter, and a run of five goals to three saw them leading by nine points at the first change.
UTS haven’t been in great form lately, but lifted their efforts in the second term and tried their hardest to get themselves into a winning position. Had they been able to kick straighter, they may have challenged for the lead. But their inaccuracy meant they were unable to get reward for effort in the term; and the Cats were able to minimise the damage. A quarter that saw each team kick two goals finished with the home side leading by seven points at the long break.
The third term put the issue of the result beyond doubt, as a strong run by Camden put the game out of UTS’s reach. The quarter was a defensive scrap, with plenty of turnovers and skill errors frustrating the coaches in a term of footy where both teams were aiming to prevent the other from getting on top. The Cats would kick the only three goals of the quarter to lead by 25 points at the last change.
It was all Camden in the final term. With the result of the game not in doubt, and confidence growing, they would add another five unanswered goals in the final term. As the Camden faithful roared their approval, this was another impressive performance from the first-season Premier Division club, as they completed their second victory over the Bats this season.
The final margin was 58 points. Ben Yakimov spearheaded the Camden charge with six goals; while Matt Edwards and Jed Ellis-Cluff also featured prominently for the Cats. Their second home win of the season and fifth overall had been a strong first season to date. But, three games plus percentage out of the five, a finals appearance looks to be beyond them.
Nathan Daniel, Adam Tarrant and Justin Crameri were UTS’s best. But the Bats were never in the contest after quarter time; in another performance well below their expectations. After winning their first two games this season, the Bats have only won one since; and this result seals their fate and mathematically guarantees the Bats will not be playing finals in 2018.

Black - Confirmed finallistsGreen - Currently in a finals position, but not yet guaranteed a place in the finalsBlue - Not currently in a finals position, but still a chance to qualifyPurple - Will not be competing in the finalsRed - Wooden spoon